# Ghostty Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 GPU-accelerated terminal emulator written in Zig Category: Developer Tools · Free · Open source · Replaces Warp ($20/month) · [Official website](https://ghostty.org) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask ghostty` ## Quick take Ghostty 1.3 makes the 'fast and native' promise feel finished for most macOS developers: search, scrollbars, semantic prompts, better Unicode, and serious performance/stability work, including fixing the Claude Code-triggered memory leak, while staying free, local, and non-profit. Choose Warp if you want a commercial AI shell; choose Ghostty if you want the best classic terminal that still feels like a Mac app. Best for: Neovim and TUI power users, Engineers who want native macOS tabs without Electron, Developers running heavy logs or coding agents, People leaving iTerm2 for performance ## What is Ghostty? Ghostty is a fast, native terminal emulator written in Zig by Mitchell Hashimoto (HashiCorp co-founder: Terraform, Vagrant, Vault). It launched publicly at 1.0 in December 2024 and has continued a deliberate six-month release schedule. As of August 2026 the current stable macOS build is **Ghostty 1.3.1**, following the large **1.3.0** release on 9 March 2026 (six months of work, ~180 contributors, ~2,858 commits). Ghostty is now a non-profit project; almost all donations fund contributor contracts rather than a commercial SaaS pivot. What still sets Ghostty apart is the combination of GPU-accelerated rendering and true platform-native UI. On macOS it uses Metal for high-frame-rate text and AppKit for tabs, splits, window chrome, Accessibility, Shortcuts, and (new in 1.3) preview AppleScript automation plus liquid-glass-aware background blur options aligned with macOS 26 Tahoe. Competitors force a trade-off: Alacritty/Kitty are fast but non-native; iTerm2 is native but historically heavier on huge output; Warp adds AI/account layers. Ghostty remains a focused terminal, no account, no AI sidebar, no Electron, configured from `~/.config/ghostty/config` with live reload. Ghostty 1.3 closed long-standing gaps versus established emulators: scrollback search (Cmd+F), native overlay scrollbars, click-to-move-cursor in semantic shell prompts, command-finished notifications, key tables/chained keybinds, rich HTML+text clipboard copy, Unicode 17 text shaping for complex scripts, major I/O and renderer lock improvements, and a fix for a memory leak that Claude Code workloads had been triggering. macOS still requires Ventura 13+ for 1.3.x (1.3 is the last line supporting macOS 13; 1.4 will require macOS 14+). Universal binaries cover Apple Silicon and Intel. Linux is supported via GTK; Windows is not a first-party app target yet, with energy going into libghostty instead. ## Features - **Metal-Accelerated Rendering.** Ghostty renders with Metal custom shaders for smooth ProMotion scrolling, low input latency, and crisp high-DPI text. The 1.3 renderer rearchitecture cuts how long the renderer holds the terminal lock (often 2x-5x less), improving throughput when tools stream massive logs or AI agent output. - **Native AppKit UI & macOS Integration.** Tabs, splits, Mission Control, Stage Manager, VoiceOver structure, Shortcuts intents, and menu-bar conventions use native APIs. Ghostty 1.3 adds drag-to-reorder splits, unobtrusive in-window update pills, tab colors, double-click tab rename, 'Set as Default Terminal', and preview AppleScript control of windows/tabs/terminals. - **Scrollback Search & Native Scrollbars.** Cmd+F search highlights matches across scrollback on a dedicated search thread; native overlay scrollbars follow system style without stealing grid space. These were the headline usability gaps closed in 1.3.0. - **Semantic Prompts & Shell Integration.** Deeper OSC 133 support enables click-to-move-cursor in Fish 4.1+/Nushell and improved jump-to-prompt/copy-command-output. Shell integration for Zsh/Bash/Fish (and more) powers working-directory tracking and optional notify-on-command-finish desktop notifications. - **Key Tables, Chains & Power User Keybinds.** 1.3 introduces tmux-like key tables, chained actions, and catch_all bindings so you can build modal resize or leader-key workflows without an external multiplexer. - **Kitty Graphics & Modern VT.** Kitty Graphics Protocol for inline images remains first-class for tools like viu/timg and Neovim image plugins. Continuous VT fidelity work (including fuzz-tested parsers in the 1.3 cycle) keeps compatibility with modern TUIs. - **Simple Config & Live Reload.** Plain `key = value` config at ~/.config/ghostty/config (optional .ghostty extension). Change fonts, themes, blur, and keybinds without restarting. `ghostty +list-config` documents every option. - **Zig Binary, Non-Profit Stewardship.** Small native binary, fast cold start, low RAM versus Electron terminals. The project’s non-profit structure (announced during the 1.3 cycle) is designed so Ghostty cannot be quietly sold out from under adopters. ## How to Install Ghostty on Mac Ghostty installs via Homebrew Cask. It requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. 1. **Install via Homebrew.** Run `brew install --cask ghostty` in your current terminal. This downloads the signed binary from Ghostty's official distribution and installs it to /Applications. 2. **Launch and Grant Permissions.** Open Ghostty from Applications. macOS will ask for Accessibility permissions on first launch, grant them so Ghostty can manage windows properly. The app may also request Full Disk Access depending on your shell configuration. 3. **Create Your Config File.** Create ~/.config/ghostty/config (the directory and file don't exist by default). Start with the basics: `font-family = JetBrains Mono`, `font-size = 14`, `theme = catppuccin-mocha`. See the full config reference with `ghostty +list-config --default`. 4. **Enable Shell Integration.** Add the shell integration snippet to your ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bashrc or ~/.config/fish/config.fish). The snippet is available in Ghostty's Help menu or by running `ghostty +show-config --shell-integration`. This enables prompt detection, command notifications, and clickable URLs. ## Pros - Metal rendering with major 1.3 I/O and lock-time performance work - Truly native macOS tabs/splits/a11y/Shortcuts/AppleScript preview - 1.3 scrollback search, native scrollbars, and semantic prompt clicks - Tiny native Zig binary, no Electron, no account, no AI upsell - Simple live-reloaded config file and strong VT/graphics protocol support - Non-profit stewardship with transparent contributor funding ## Cons - No GUI preferences panel yet (config file and command palette only) - No first-party Windows app (libghostty is the long-term path) - Intentionally no built-in AI chat, bring your own agents in the shell - macOS 13 support ends after the 1.3 line; 1.4 will require macOS 14+ - Younger than iTerm2, edge-case VT quirks can still appear in obscure apps ## Closer look: How Ghostty Beat iTerm2 Ghostty’s architecture separates a high-performance terminal core from platform GUI layers (AppKit on macOS, GTK on Linux), with libghostty emerging as a reusable embedding target for third-party apps. ## FAQ ### What is the latest Ghostty version in August 2026? Ghostty 1.3.1 is the current stable download on ghostty.org, following the major 1.3.0 release on 9 March 2026. ### Does Ghostty support Apple Silicon and macOS Tahoe? Yes. macOS builds are universal (Apple Silicon + Intel). Ghostty 1.3 requires macOS 13 Ventura or later and includes macOS 26-oriented blur options; 1.3 is documented as the last series supporting macOS 13. ### Is Ghostty free? Yes. MIT-licensed, no subscriptions. Optional donations support the non-profit and contributors. ### How do I install Ghostty on Mac? Download the universal DMG from ghostty.org or run `brew install --cask ghostty`. Tip builds are available via `brew install --cask ghostty@tip`. ### Does Ghostty have scrollback search now? Yes, Cmd+F search landed in 1.3.0 along with native scrollbars, which were two of the most requested features versus iTerm2. ### Can AI tools read Ghostty’s screen on macOS? Ghostty exposes accessibility APIs so permitted assistive/AI tools can read contents (similar to Terminal, iTerm2, and Warp). Screen reading still requires macOS permission prompts. ### Does Ghostty include AI features like Warp? No. Ghostty is intentionally a terminal emulator. Run Claude Code, Codex CLI, or other agents inside it; the app itself does not bundle an AI sidebar. ## Sources - [Download Ghostty](https://ghostty.org/download) - [Ghostty 1.3.0 Release Notes](https://ghostty.org/docs/install/release-notes/1-3-0) - [Ghostty home](https://ghostty.org/) - [Ghostty vs iTerm2 2026 comparison](https://tech-insider.org/ghostty-vs-iterm2-2026/) - [Mitchell Hashimoto on macOS accessibility for Ghostty](https://x.com/mitchellh/status/1934360580850405544) - [2026 Mac terminal setup with Ghostty](https://samuellawrentz.com/blog/mac-terminal-setup-2026-ghostty-starship-catppuccin/) - [Ghostty GitHub organization](https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty) ## Related - [Cursor](https://bundl.run/apps/cursor) - [Claude Code](https://bundl.run/apps/claude-code) - [ChatGPT](https://bundl.run/apps/chatgpt) - [Claude](https://bundl.run/apps/claude) - [Codex](https://bundl.run/apps/codex) - [Windsurf](https://bundl.run/apps/windsurf) - [Ghostty vs iTerm2](https://bundl.run/compare/ghostty-vs-iterm2) - [Ghostty vs Alacritty](https://bundl.run/compare/ghostty-vs-alacritty) - [Ghostty vs Warp](https://bundl.run/compare/ghostty-vs-warp) - [Ghostty vs Kitty](https://bundl.run/compare/ghostty-vs-kitty) - [Free alternative to Warp](https://bundl.run/https:/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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